they would focus on a longer-term debt ceiling increase sometime in april or may. that is the strategy from house republicans. president obama says he has not even entertained any type of negotiations. republicans should agree to raise the debt ceiling because having to raise it is the result of appropriations already passed and signed into law. back to you. melissa: thanks so much. ashley: here with reaction to the gop when it peter welch. thank you for joining us. you say, look, republicans are making it an "economic weapon of mass distraction." do they get is a continuation of that? >> it is actually progress for the republican confidence, but it is not progress for the country. that tack tick is not one that they can hold onto because they know it will plunge this country into a deeper recession. they have been -- it is a way to say they are avoiding. ashley: it really is not addressing the issue, though, what will it take to get that in place. i know that you, of course, have been leading the charge to have the president to prevent the country from defaulting.